My Moon Sun and Stars
by Robin09653
Summary: Wally followed Paula down the hill and across the Gotham cemetery. He carried the bouquet Paula had handed him when they arrived. He looked at the graves, reading the names and dates of the dead. The air was still. They reached a large tombstone that Wally couldn't help but read over and over. Artemis Lian Crock. He placed the bouquet on the grass...
1. Prologue

Wally followed Paula down the hill and across the Gotham cemetery. He carried the bouquet Paula had handed him when they arrived. He looked at the graves, reading the names and dates of the dead. The air was still. They reached a large tombstone that Wally couldn't help but read over and over. _Artemis Lian Crock_. He placed the bouquet on the grass. Wally thought that when he had to stand in front of her grave, it would say _Artemis West_ and next to her would be a place for him when his time was up. He wasn't expecting it so soon. She might as well be dead. She's out of his life for who knows how long.

His thoughts were interrupted by Paula. "Thank you for coming Wally." He stood up. "This has been the hardest two days of my life," Wally walked behind her wheelchair placing a hand on her shoulder, "Harder than prison, than losing the use of my legs," Tears began to stream down Paula's face, "Than losing Jade to the Life...I could not have survived this without you."

Wally looked away in guilt. He felt as though he was the one responsible for tearing Paula's heart apart. He let her finish what she had to say. "Wally?" He turned around to see Zatanna standing there, a picture in her hand. "Hey Z." She came closer and looked at Paula, who didn't notice her. "Hi Mrs. Crock. I'm so sorry." Paula turned her head, face red. "Hello Zatanna." Paula looked at the ground. Wally looked at the two upset women. He knew that no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't tell them about Artemis. He couldn't tell anyone.

Everyone was still in denial. They _wanted_ to believe she was coming back. Megan would go into silence and tears would well up in her eyes if anything reminded her of Artemis. Zatanna was better at hiding it, but not by much. Paula broke his heart to watch her mourn her daughter especially since it wasn't real. It was real to them though; to him she was just away, _risking_ her life.

Zatanna put down her picture frame. Her and Artemis on Halloween night five years ago. They were both so happy. Artemis' smile. The one he's only been missing for one day. It felt like forever. Zatanna was on her knees looking up at the name and at her picture. She was mumbling something, but Wally didn't want to listen. It would just make him feel worse.

"I'm ready to go now. I'll wait for you at the top Wally." Paula said as she turned around. Zatanna hugged her goodbye. As Paula passed Wally, Zatanna walked over to him. "Wally. Are you gonna be okay?" He looked at her. "I'll be fine." He said with a forced smile. "Dick told me." Wally's eyes widened. "Told you what?"

"You were gonna propose." Zatanna said in a tone close to a whisper. "Oh. That. Yeah…I was."

"Do you have the ring with you?" Wally took it out of his pocket. It was platinum with a moonstone cut in the shape of a perfect circle. The outside of the ring read _You are my moon sun and stars_. "Wally. It's…beautiful. Artemis…would've loved it." Wally smiled half-heartedly.

"When were you going to do it?"

"I was _planning _on doing it two days ago. Yesterday I was going to take her out for lunch or something, but she chose to take Nightwing's offer." Zatanna frowned and hugged him. "It's been nice seeing you Z, but Paula's waiting up there. You wanna come? I can take you home or whatever."

"Nah. I'll stay here for a little while."

"Alright. I'll see you later."

"Yeah." Wally walked away and went to the top of the hill to meet Paula. They went down the street to the apartments where Wally brought Paula to hers. "Wally? Do you want to stay for dinner?" Paula asked. "I'd love to, but I have to get home." He said.

"I understand. It's been nice seeing you." Wally leaned over and hugged her. "You too."

Wally walked through the door of his home. Kent started barking for once and ran up to greet Wally _and Artemis_. "Hey boy." Wally said as he sat on the couch and turned on the TV. Kent whined at the door. "Ya wanna go out?" Instead of the usual running around he continued to sit and whine. He didn't want to go out. He wanted Artemis. "Come here." Wally patted the couch. Kent jumped on it and stared up at his owner. Wally sighed. "Mommy's not coming home boy." Kent put his head on Wally's lap and whimpered. "I know. I miss her too."


	2. Memories

**I got so many reviews and favorites that I just had to continue! Takes place directly after chapter 1**

The television was on, but Wally wasn't watching. It was loud too, but he didn't hear it nor did he want to. Wally sighed knowing that the door wasn't going to be open at all tonight. At least not by _her_. He stood up and yawned making Kent perk his head up. Wally took off his jacket, placing it on the couch. He grabbed the remote, pressing the power button. The boxer got off of the couch and stretched. He looked up at Wally then at the hallway. "Come on buddy." Wally said, petting the dog as he passed him.

He opened the first door on the right and walked into his bedroom hitting the light switch. Wally looked at the pictures on his dresser. The day they moved in together, the day Wally brought Kent home for the first time...It was all there. _Hundreds _of pictures were in the top drawer. Wally loved taking pictures, especially when him and Artemis would just sit on the couch and make faces.

The walls, a light blue. The carpet, a beige color. _Artemis says it reminds her of the beach_. He pulled his black shirt over his head tossing it on the floor. He sat on the bed and kicked off his shoes, one falling next to the bed and the other hitting the wall. He changed into sweatpants and turned to see Kent sleeping on the left side of the bed. _Artemis' side_.

He turned off the lamp next to him and pulled the covers up. Wally stared at the ceiling and closed his eyes. "Artemis," he whispered."I should have stopped you." He sat up and opened his eyes again, staring at the pitch black room. _Is she as miserable as I am? _He reached for the lamp, lighting the room up once more.Wally got out of bed and walked towards the dresser looking at the drawer.

Opening the drawer, he took out the top album along with the scattered pictures left in it. Page by page, he took in every moment him and Artemis shared. He turned the page to the week they got accepted to Stanford and were looking for a place to stay.

_"What about this one?" Artemis asked pointing to a picture of a red house. "I don't know about that one, but what do you think of this?" He showed her a picture of a tan house. She shook her head. Wally continued to look through the photos until he suddenly found what he thought was perfect. "This?" A yellow building. It had a white porch, a small yard, and stairs leading to the second level from the outside. "It's great for college students." Wally read. "It's a split level apartment." Artemis said. Wally nodded. "Yeah. And? It costs less than any of these other houses and it's five minutes away from the university." Artemis smiled. "How much?"_

_ "Just the house is about $2,170 plus $200 per month. All they require is working within city limits. Then we have to actually pay to attend Stanford."_

_"Wow. Stanford is $50,000 per year. So let's see..." Artemis added. "That's about $209,000. Not even counting food and everything. _Especially _food." She looked at Wally. He shrugged. "Less than the other stuff we've been looking at. Besides babe we can always get a loan like _normal_ people." Artemis laughed. "Wally you're not exactly my description of _normal_." They laughed. "So we're getting it?"_

_ "Yeah. I'll go call."_

He found the picture of them standing in front of the house and bringing the furniture in also known as the day he bought Kent.

_"Hey Artemis! Can you get that one?" Artemis walked towards a box on the floor. When she walked towards it, the box shook. Artemis jumped. "Wally?!" She yelled as she sat down to open it. Artemis opened the box and inside was a small, white Boxer. It barked happily at Artemis. She picked it up and the puppy immediately licked her face. "I'm guessing you like him?"_

_ "_Like _him? I _love_ him! He's adorable, but why'd you get him?_

_ "A moving present? Early birthday present? Late Valentine's Day present? You name it. It cost an extra thousand dollars to keep him here, but he's yours."_

_ "_Ours_. What's his name?" Wally smiled. "Kent."_

Wally shut the photo album after looking at half of the collection. It was too much. Too many good memories that the people around him try so hard to forget they happened. When someone leaves your life, even for a little while, you don't want to forget them. You _can't_ forget them. There's always going to be that part of you that remembers even when you don't recall consciously.

Wally didn't know when he fell asleep that night, but he woke up to his alarm he forgot to disable. He groaned pushing the off button. Wally turned on his side and opened his eyes expecting a certain archer there. It was empty. He sat up looking at the empty side of the bed, removed the covers and walked towards the door. He felt a draft and looked at the open window facing the back of the building. _It's open_. Wally looked around the room for some evidence of someone coming in last night.

He frowned when he didn't find anything in the room. The speedster ran out of the room and looked around the rest of the building. Nothing was unusual, but someone _was_ there. "Wally. I thought you said you were going to be okay. Now you're chasing ghosts." He jumped. "Zatanna! What are you doing here?"

"I came to give you this. The official invites for Raquel's wedding. It's in two weeks already. Aren't you excited?" Zatanna's smile faded. "You are coming...right? You need some fun."

"Yeah. I'll be there." Zatanna handed him the purple sheet of paper. "Great!"

"I just have one question...why did you come in through my window?" Zatanna arched an eyebrow. "I didn't. I let myself in with my key. Ya know the one...that Artemis gave me…why?"

"Nothing. I guess I just left my window open." Wally lied. _She was here_. "Okay. Well I just couldn't wait to hand these out so I came here as fast as I could. I still gotta go to the Cave. I came to you first though 'cause I thought you might want some cheering up." Wally smiled. "Thanks Z. I'll see you later."

"Bye." Zatanna walked out of the house leaving Wally alone once more. _I'm not chasing ghosts. She's alive. _That was what Wally wanted to say, but he knew that if he did they would think he was crazy. They believed it while he had to at least pretend to. His life was going great until his 'best friend' messed it all up. _He asked her...but she could have said 'no.' _She didn't listen to him when he explained what could happen, but she knew the costs. Wally couldn't help but think he should have said more and did something to make her stay. Wally took the engagement ring out of his jacket. _I should have done _this_. Why did I wait?_

He walked into his room with Kent following behind. "I thought she'd never leave." A voice from the corner of the room said. "Jade?" Wally didn't know whether to be cautious or not. Her intentions were always different.

"Hey West. How's it been? I haven't seen you since you babysat Lian last week. Thanks for that by the way." Wally smiled nervously. _Did she figure it out or is she here for something else?_ "So...what are you doing here?" Jade looked at Artemis and Wally's picture on the dresser. "I came here to ask if you knew anything."

"Ask me if I knew anything...about what?" Wally was getting very nervous by now. _She knows. She knows. _"Artemis' death and Aqualad. Do you know _anything_?"

"I wasn't there. Nightwing told me that night. All I know is that Aqualad…killed her. I didn't ask for details." Jade glared. "Didn't you _love_ my sister? Don't you want to get revenge?!"

"I did—_do_ love her. Revenge won't bring her back. It won't make me feel any better. It won't change _anything_ except make me a target. I quit the Life because of the fear of ever losing her or Artemis having to lose me. I never told anyone that. I told everyone it was because college would get in the way, but it was all a lie." Pretending she died was harder than Wally thought. He had to confess his biggest fear to make it realistic and he hated it.

"Maybe it won't change anything for you, but it would at least make me feel that they knew who they were messing with when they killed Artemis…She's a Crock. The desire of that…rush is in her blood. You couldn't keep her from it. I still need my satisfaction."

"What about Roy? About Lian? Are you just going to leave them? You told me that Lian needed a father. She needs you too Jade." Jade sighed as she crawled out of the window, ignoring Wally's comment. _I knew this was a bad idea. Jade's going to recognize Artemis. You can't hide that personality. Her sarcastic comments. She might look different, but she's still Artemis._


	3. Visiting

A week and a half had passed since Artemis' departure. Not a day went by without Wally thinking about her. Jade hadn't reappeared to ask about Aqualad. The Team was preparing for Raquel's wedding that was four days away. They kept Artemis out of every conversation, trying to focus on the happiness of Raquel's marriage instead of Artemis' death.

Zatanna stopped by every day to keep Wally sane enough. They talked, watched TV, and she stayed for dinner. It wasn't enough to fill the part of him Artemis took when she left, but he kept him close to happy. When she would leave every night, the mixed feelings of anger, sadness, and worry would return. He had almost shut the Team out of his life, if it weren't for Dick and Zatanna.

What Wally didn't understand is why Dick wanted him to become a hero again. Nightwing explained it as a way to see Artemis, but Wally knew that was a lie. He couldn't see _Artemis_; he would see what she had become. He didn't want to see her behind a mask, especially if it wasn't hers. That thought was worse to bear than her actual disappearance. He would know she was there, but knowing wasn't enough. Dick didn't understand that. Wally couldn't fight her. Not after everything they had been through together. Wally wanted _Artemis_, not _Tigress_.

Kent saw the depressed state Wally went into during the evening. Wally didn't want to sleep alone, to eat alone, or to do _anything _alone. Going to the park with Kent was just a chore now. There was no Artemis throwing sticks or footballs or anything. It was just Wally and Kent. Wally wanted to run too, to yell _'Beautiful! Over here!' _and hide in the trees waiting to jump in front of her. Kent didn't want to do anything either. He would just stand there, or lay in the grass. He knew Wally wasn't excited about it, so the stick would just lie on the ground along with the football.

"Wally!" Zatanna sang as she burst open the door with a brown bag. "Guess what I got!" Wally looked up at her. "Okay. You don't have to guess. I didn't feel like cooking tonight, so I just got some sandwiches and chips."

"I'm not hungry." Zatanna put the bag on the table. "Oh come on. Eat, Wally. Big boys need to eat." She laughed as she opened a bag of chips. "Come on. Open up!" Wally didn't budge, so Zatanna opened it for him. "Come on. Just eat a chip!"

"No." He said trying to keep his mouth closed. Zatanna jumped on top of him and pushed a chip against his mouth. "Zatanna! Get off of—"

She shoved a chip in his mouth and laughed. "Just be glad it wasn't the sandwich." Wally sat up and took a napkin wiping the crumbs off of his face and black shirt. "Better?"

"No. I told you I wasn't hungry." Zatanna took a big bite of her sandwich. "Mmm. You don't know what you're missing!"

"Gross." He laughed. She swallowed. "So what were you planning on doing tonight?"

"Same as usual. Sit around, watch TV, do some homework, and try to sleep. Why?" Wally leaned back on the couch. "Maybe we could go somewhere tonight." Zatanna said full of hope. "No. I'm not in the mood to go out." Zatanna frowned. "Wally. You'll like it."

"How do you know?" Wally asked. "Just trust me." She stood up. "You'll eat this later." Zatanna put the bag in the fridge. Wally stood up, confused. "So where are we going?"

"Shh. Follow me!" Zatanna walked out of the house. When Wally locked the door, he followed Zatanna down the stairs. "Can't you just tell me?" Zatanna didn't respond and Wally groaned.

When they arrived Zatanna said, "Dick said that you two used to go there all the time." Wally looked at the sign. _Gotham Trails_. He smiled slightly before it faded away. The sign was legible, but faded. "Yeah. They closed it down after two people went back there and never came out. Back there, behind the gate, are miles of forest. We walked through that until we reached the end. We liked it best after dark. The trails are probably gone now, but we never took them anyway." Wally walked closer to the entrance. "You wanna go in?" Zatanna asked. Wally only walked farther inside the area.

Zatanna looked at Wally. He was practically in a daze. At least he wasn't focused on Artemis. Zatanna caught up to him. "Wally. We can go through you know."

"I know." He said reaching the painted trees indicating trails. "Where did you and Dick start from?"

"Green." Zatanna looked at the three trails. "Blue goes left. Red goes right. Green goes straight ahead." Wally pointed. It was dark, but Wally remembered the trails. "Let's go," Wally said in his old tone that she (or anyone) hadn't heard in a while. "Try not to lose me." Zatanna grinned. "I won't."


	4. Broken

Zatanna looked at the ground, watching her step. Wally stopped and looked at her. "You're being too cautious about it. You're too slow. What's the fun if you don't fall down a few times?" He took her hand and helped her step onto the slab leading to the top of the mountain. When they reached the top, Wally moved the tree branches to enhance their view. "Wow." Zatanna whispered to herself. "I know right? Just watch your step here. Don't want you rolling down the mountain." Zatanna backed up. "You can see all of Gotham from here and the moon looks huge."

"That's not even the best part." Wally said stepping to the right, taking Zatanna through a cave on the edge. "This is where Dick and I would camp sometimes. We would put these branches up to the top of the entrance, and then remove them when we were here. We built a fire here in the middle. We brought sleeping bags here too. There's a river that runs down the mountain farther to the right. Ya wanna go see?" Zatanna nodded. Wally led Zatanna around the cave and headed to the river. "Why'd they even close this place down? I get the whole two people went missing, but why ruin everyone else's fun? It's so beautiful."

"I don't know. If I could, I would re-open it."

"Well why don't you?" Wally laughed. "Please! I have to pay for college and the house and everything else. I couldn't handle it all."

"Well maybe when you're done." Zatanna responded. "I just might." Zatanna smiled. "I bet you could take really good care of this place." Wally looked at her. "You really think so?"

"I know so. You're more responsible than people give you credit for. You take care of the things that you love. You, Wally West, are one of a kind." He frowned. "I didn't take good enough care of Artemis." Zatanna grabbed his arm. "Don't ever say that! I was her best friend. She loved you and you loved her. You took great care of her. Don't blame yourself. She_ wanted _to do it. Okay?" Wally stared at her with remorse. "We all want her back, but it isn't gonna happen. You can't keep living this way…Blaming yourself. Or anyone for that matter. _It was Artemis_."

Zatanna let go and Wally just turned and continued walking towards the river. "Wally…I'm sorry for saying that. The thing about how it wasn't anyone's fault. It's true though. It especially wasn't you. You couldn't have stopped it. You weren't there. You did your best to protect Artemis, but you can't control her decisions." Wally was blinded by the tears forming in his eyes. He didn't want to cry. He never cried. He comes close to it, but it never actually happened. Zatanna put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. She put her arms around him and he put his head on her shoulder. Tears streaming down his face by now, Wally held her tighter. Zatanna let go and looked at Wally's face, flushed with sorrow. He faced the ground, closing his eyes. Zatanna didn't want to see him like this. He was broken. And only after two weeks. Wally sat on a fallen tree and buried his face in his hands.

Zatanna sat next to him and just watched him as his body occasionally shook and sobs came from him. "Wally?" She said after a few minutes. "Do you want to go home?" He didn't answer. Zatanna stood up and he stood shortly after. "Uh huh."

"I know this wasn't exactly what you wanted to do tonight, but it means a lot that you tried." Wally sighed. Zatanna walked down the mountain, occasionally looking back, seeing Wally was going much slower than he ever did. She walked back to him and went at his pace. They got off of the slab and back onto the grassy area of the mountain. Wally looked up seeing the moon getting smaller the lower they went. When he looked back ahead, they had reached the entrance. Zatanna got into her car and Wally got into the passenger seat. Zatanna turned the radio off and turned up the heat.

On their way back to Palo Alto, Wally had fallen asleep. Zatanna pulled up in front of the house and tapped Wally. "We're here." He lifted his head up, still half asleep. Zatanna unlocked the car and Wally got out. "Thanks Z." Wally and Zatanna exchanged half-hearted smiles. He closed the door and walked up the stairs, taking the house key out of his pocket. Zatanna drove away.

When Wally went inside, he walked to his room. He kicked his shoes off, changed out of his jeans and went into the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror, seeing the dark circles under his eyes. Wally went back into the bedroom and crawled into bed. Raquel's wedding was in three days and he wasn't up for it at all. Wally needed something to take his mind off of Artemis, but there wasn't anything that hadn't reminded him of her. He wanted to see her. Wanted to talk to her. He needed something to tell him that she was still safe, still herself, still his.


	5. Smile

It was Raquel's wedding day. Wally rolled out of bed, barely conscious. He looked at the clock. He only had twenty minutes before Dick and Zatanna would come, dragging him out of the house. Wally stood in the shower, trying to wake himself up a bit. Wally wasn't a big fan of the cold though, so the hot water just made him more tired.

He got out and dried his hair. He went in his closet, taking out the black and white tuxedo he bought for the occasion. Wally tried to push Artemis out of his mind and it worked. Partially. Wally slipped on his shoes when Dick walked in. "Hey Wally." He was dressed in nearly an identical outfit, but instead of the pointed shoes Wally had, Dick's were rounded. The jacket was also open, unlike Wally's. "Hi." Wally replied, putting on his tie. "I get it if you don't want to talk to me right now, but Zatanna didn't know if you were ready so she told me to get you."

"Dick, I overreacted. I'm just—"

"Worried about Artemis. I know." Wally faced him. "I'm not just worried about her…That's just…what came up first. I'm worried about you too. All of you. I know that you think Artemis is safe and that you can get back the others, but the more hostages they have…Don't you think…the invasion will come sooner?"

"I didn't want to tell you this because I know it would worry you, but I don't know. I know I've been kind of a jerk to you lately. I blame myself for Artemis leaving you. I was the one who asked her, but I was under a lot of stress about the Team and the invasion. I didn't think that you would be so upset." Wally remembered what Zatanna had told him. "It was Artemis' choice to go. She didn't have to agree."

"On the flash drive, it doesn't just explain the plan. Artemis wanted me to tell you that she misses you. A lot and…you can read it later." Wally smiled. He was just glad that Artemis went through the risk of sending a message. "We should go." Wally nodded. They both left the house. Zatanna was sitting in the driver seat. "What took you two so long?"

"We were just talking and Wally was finishing up." Zatanna drove down the street. "So...I…Uh don't mean to be rude but…How long is this thing exactly?" Dick laughed. "Way not to be rude."

"Sorry! I just don't really want to go to a wedding today." Zatanna frowned. "About twenty or thirty minutes for the ceremony."

"And the reception?" Wally asked. "All day basically, but I can take you home whenever you want to leave." Zatanna replied, taking a left turn. "I'm hoping you'll stay though." Dick said. "I don't know." After a half an hour of driving, they reached their destination. They all got out and saw the other guests piling in. The group walked in and took their seats. After fifteen minutes of waiting, the church's indistinct chatter stopped and after a few moments Raquel's fiancé stood at the altar. The piano began to play and Raquel walked in. She was wearing a simple, yet elegant dress. Two unfamiliar girls held the train and Raquel's father walked beside her. As words were exchanged, most of the girl's eyes (and some of the boys) were filled with tears. Wally, on the other hand, wasn't paying attention. He wanted to, but focusing was something he hadn't been good at lately, even more than usual.

The ceremony ended and guests headed to their cars to go to the reception. Wally stayed sitting, not noticing what was going on around him. Zatanna put a hand on his shoulder. "Wally? Are you going to the reception?"

"Maybe for a little while." Zatanna smiled with gratitude. "Where's Dick?" He asked as he stood up. "To be honest, I don't know where he went. Maybe he went to get the car?" Wally and Zatanna walked out of the church being mobbed by the other guests. "I don't see him." Zatanna said, looking around the parking lot. "I almost forgot how much I hated him doing that."

"Hey guys. What're looking for? Z did you forget where you parked the car?" Dick asked as he walked in front of them. "No. We were looking for you. Where'd you go?" Wally inquired. "I was…talking to Raquel." Wally looked at him with suspicion.

They reached the car and got into their seats. They sat in the traffic, waiting for even the slightest bit of movement. Wally looked out the window; the car beside him had been guests. A husband, wife and two daughters in the back seat. One of them looked eight while the one staring back at him looked fifteen. Wally smiled at her and waved. The girl waved back. Her younger sister gave her a confused look, and then charged toward the window to wave as well. Wally giggled to himself. The closest thing to a laugh he's done in a while. It seemed so unnatural.

Dick looked at Wally with a confused glance that later turned into a smile. The traffic broke up and the car moved steadily down the road. Wally continued to look at the other cars passing by, seeing the people who might also be at the reception. _I could at least try to have a good time. The others deserve that._

**Haha you thought you were gonna get Artemis this chapter didn't you? Maybe next chapter…**


	6. All That Matters

The car stopped in front of a manor where the reception took place. It was big, old fashioned, and it looked like it was worth thousands. Dick, Wally, and Zatanna walked inside and felt the full experience. The entrance was a square room with a marble floor. A spiral staircase was placed in the room. Two arches were on each side and another was leading into the room ahead of them. Wally looked up. The lit chandelier made the blue walls shine.

"See you later, okay?" Zatanna said. "Yeah." Wally replied. Dick and Zatanna began to walk to the left, leaving Wally in the entrance. The rest of the guests had arrived and went into the main room as well. Wally finished looking at the room and went in Dick and Zatanna's direction. This room was even larger. There were six tables on each side. A large dance floor was in the middle where instead of carpet, like the rest of the room, it was wood. Some guests were dancing, but most of them were just talking to each other.

Wally didn't recognize most of the people, so he stood off to the side, looking out the large window on the side. When Wally looked at the party again, the two girls from the car were looking at him. When they noticed, the sisters walked over to him. He saw them clearer now. The younger one was blonde while the older one was a brunette. They both had worn lilac dresses and their hair was up in a fashion he had only seen Artemis be able to do. "Hi!" the brunette said. "Hi." The blonde, who was obviously shyer, whispered. Wally looked down at them. "Hey."

"I'm Heather. This is my sister Violet. What's your name?" Wally was still unsure on why they were so interested in him, but he continued to talk. "Wally." The younger girl giggled. Wally smiled. "How old are you?" Wally arched an eyebrow. It was a common question, but he still found it strange. "I'm twenty."

"Are you married!? Do you have a girlfriend!?" Wally wanted to say yes, but he couldn't. That would risk Artemis' cover. Luckily, their mother came over. "Girls. Leave him alone. I'm sorry Mr.—"

"West." Wally continued. "Wally West. And they weren't bothering me. They're just curious."

"You're Wally? I heard about you're…um…" Wally frowned. _Did the whole world have to find out? _"My girlfriend?" The woman nodded sincerely. "What happened to his girlfriend Mommy?" The blonde asked. "It's none of your concern Violet. I'm sorry again."

"No problem." Wally went back to staring out the window as they walked away. He saw a shadow moving from behind the fountain, the bushes moving. To anyone it would just be the wind, but to Wally he was hoping it would be more. He quickly made his way out of the manor and into the garden on the side. It was dark, but it was light enough to be able to tell that it was Artemis sitting on the side of the fountain. She wasn't in her Tigress uniform, she was wearing her dark jeans, and navy blue shirt which made it harder to see, but he could see the charm glistening in the moonlight.

He made his way in front of her and nearly pushed her into the fountain while hugging her. At first she thought it was a stranger, but that touch belonged to her boyfriend. "Wally?" He stood up bringing her with him. Wally had to admit he was tearing up a bit. It was obvious and Artemis noticed. She buried her face into his chest, holding him tight. "I missed you so much." He managed to say although his voice cracked. "I missed you too." They didn't want to let go. She looked up at him and saw Wally's eyes red from holding back tears. "I was so worried about you." He whispered. "Well, I'm here now. That's all that matters." She smiled the smile Wally had been missing for three weeks. "Babe. I…When you were gone…" Wally couldn't get out the words. "What I'm trying to say is…I love you and while you were gone I realized that I can't live without you. I've been a serious mess without you here. I want you to know that." Wally pulled the ring out of his pocket and looked at it from behind Artemis' back. "Artemis…" He let go of her and got on one knee. "Will…you marry me?"

"Yes. Of course I will. It's beautiful." Wally slipped it on her finger and stood up again. "You're beautiful." Artemis frowned. "What? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. "The mission's not finished yet. I shouldn't even be here. I'm still needed." Wally's eyes softened. "_I_ need you." Artemis looked down. "I have to. I made a promise Wally. See this?" She held up the ring. "I'm keeping this promise too. You don't know how much I want to stay here with you, but I—"

Artemis was cut off by Wally pressing his lips against her own. She threw her arms around his neck while he cupped her face. Wally opened his eyes and saw the moonlight shining on her face. Artemis' arms fell to her sides again as their lips parted. "Artemis. I love you _too much_ to let you go."

"Do you trust me?" Artemis asked. "Of course I do."

"Then let me go. I'll come back." Wally sighed. "How do I know that?" Artemis smiled. "Because Kid Flash wouldn't let me die." Wally looked into her eyes. "You want me to go back?"

"Just until this mission is over. Then we're done. Please? I have to be able to see you. Even if it's behind a mask." Wally closed his eyes. "Fine." He opened his eyes and Artemis was gone. Wally sat on the fountain while Artemis watched him from the tree beside him. Saying goodbye was just too painful for her. Wally was blinded by the forming tears. He didn't notice the people standing in front of him. "Dude. Let's get you home." It was Dick and Zatanna. "Wally? What happened?"

"Nothing." He said angrily as he walked past them heading to the car.


	7. Tell Me

"Wally. We're worried about you." Zatanna said, buckling her seatbelt. "I'm fine, really." Wally mumbled. "No, you're not. You cry at the littlest thing that reminds you of Artemis. You have to understand that she's gone." Dick looked out the window, tuning out Zatanna. They stopped at a red light and Wally took off his seatbelt. "Wally? What are you doing?" He opened his door and got out without a word. "Wally! Get back in the car!"

"I'll get home on my own." Dick looked at the hatred in his eyes. He leaned over to Zatanna. "I'll go with him." Zatanna nodded with guilt. He got out of the car and the light turned green. "Wally! Wait!" He kept walking, hands in his pockets. Dick stopped him. "Tell me what happened." Wally sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm your best friend. You can tell me anything."

"Artemis…She was there…Outside."

"I know. I sent her there. So what happened? Weren't you happy that you got to see her?"

"Of course I was, but it was the fact that she agreed to marry me, I agreed to rejoin the Team, and then she left without a word."

"You…proposed?" Dick smiled. "I'm happy for you._ You_ should be happy."

"_I am_, but what if I did it for nothing? What if she doesn't come back?" Dick's smile faded. "Wally, Artemis is going to come back." Wally walked across the street and sat on a bench. "She said Kid Flash wouldn't let her die. I can't guarantee that. What if I let her down?"

"Have you ever let her down? I mean besides forgetting Valentine's Day…"

"No." Dick sat next to him. "Then what makes this any different?"

"Because protecting her life isn't remembering to get groceries." Dick couldn't help but to laugh. "It's not funny! I'm serious! What if she dies? And I'm not even there?" Wally put his face in his hands. "Artemis is safe. You just have to remember that Artemis is a great hero. A great person. She wouldn't let you live without her. She's fighting for _you _and the rest of the world. Stop worrying. I know it's hard, but you shouldn't let it consume your life. It's not good for your health. Zatanna's really worried about you and so is the rest of the Team. Do it for them. Do it for Artemis. She wouldn't want to see you this way and neither do I."

"I know. I just can't help it. Artemis is a big part of my life. It's hard to live without seeing her every day." Dick stood up. "Come on. It's getting late." Wally got off of the bench and looked at him. "I wanna walk home alone."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow?" Dick handed him the flash drive. Wally nodded, turning around and walking down the street. He sighed, crossing his arms as he walked down the street. "Wally!" He turned around. "Hi…Jade." She glared. "_I know_."

"Know what?" She walked closer. "Artemis is alive." She whispered. "What?"

"Artemis is alive. You didn't think you could hide her personality, did you?" Wally looked around nervously. "There are a lot of people with her personality." Jade arched an eyebrow. "No. I know that it's Artemis. Don't worry Wally. Your secret's safe with me. For now. But if anything goes wrong, I swear one of you will really be dead."

"Fine. What do you know?" Jade smirked. "That she faked her death to learn the truth about the Light's partner. She's Tigress. Correct? She's the one who blew up your precious Mount Justice." Wally's eyes widened. "_She_ blew up Mount Justice?" Jade nodded. "So who is this Partner?"

"Don't know. I'm not at the top. Sportsmaster knows, but he'd never tell anyone."

"Could you find out?" Jade smiled. "You just want Artemis, don't you? You don't _really_ care about the Invasion."

"That's not true. It's just the Team is going to deal with the Invasion. I want Artemis home. Then everyone's happy." Jade rolled her eyes. "Please? Find out. Do it for your future _brother in law_." Jade's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" Wally smiled. "Artemis and I are _engaged_."

"Since when?"

"Since twenty minutes ago. So will you do it?"

"I guess. Besides who would I be if I actually played by the rules?" Jade stated as she walked away. Wally ran home the rest of the way remembering the flash drive. When he reached the house, he went to the computer in his room.

Inserting the flash drive, he waited for it to load. When it did, he clicked on the icon. A folder opened, but none had anything from Artemis. He went through each folder, each document, looking for his name or a clue of it being from her. Wally finally found a message.

_Wally, I miss you. I wish I was there. I don't know what you've been doing without me, but I've been waiting for the moment where I can go see you. I know we're worlds apart right now, but that hasn't changed anything. I love you and hope that when you read this, you'll know that even though I'm not next to you I'm in your heart._

_Love, Artemis_

Wally smiled. There was no way he could let her go after that. He read the message over and over. After reading it at least ten times, he took out the flash drive and put it on his desk. Kent started barking and Wally looked out the front window. No one was there. A knock came from the door and Wally opened it. "Hi Zatanna."

"I just came here to make sure you were okay. You ran off and I know it's hard to accept the fact that Artemis is dead, but—"

"Z. Dick gave me the speech already." Wally sat on the couch. "Oh. Well…Then I guess I'm done." Zatanna went to turn around. "You don't have to leave; just I talked about it with Dick already." She smiled. "So now you like visitors?"

"What do you mean _now_? It's always fun when you're here."

"Seriously?" Zatanna laughed. "Yeah. Ya know when you aren't shoving food down my throat. Other than that it's pretty cool having you here." Wally said. "Yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Don't want food going to waste." She shrugged and sat next to him. "So…you're okay?"

"I think so." Zatanna smiled. "Good. Glad to see you happy again." She hugged him. Kent barked and sniffed Wally. He pushed him away and laughed. "Quit it." Kent continued to bark. _He smells Artemis_. 


	8. Useless

The next morning, Wally looked at the red and yellow outfit he was questioning to put on. _For Artemis_. He fastened up the suit and pulled the goggles over his eyes. Wally looked at himself in the large mirror next to the desk and sighed. He looked at the photo albums for one last time and stacked his papers on the desk. A loose picture fell out of the stack.

It was him and Artemis at their friend's formal. He had his arm around her waist and they both smiled brightly. Artemis leaned into him with her head slightly tilted. His suit was the same as what he had worn to Raquel's wedding. Artemis' dark green dress fell to her ankles, enough to show the black heels she was wearing. She had put on eyeliner for the occasion and a tinted red on her lips shone. Wally put it in the top drawer with other pictures that had fallen out.

_Artemis wants this_. _This is all for her_. _Just a little while_."You ready?" Dick asked already in his uniform. "Yeah." Wally and Dick headed out of the bedroom. "You don't know how great this is. Nightwing and Kid Flash fighting crime side by side again."

"I never fought crime with _Nightwing_. I fought with _Robin_. You'd look pretty serious running around in _that_ uniform now." Wally laughed. "Shut up." Dick pushed him. "So, where are we going?"

"We're going to meet Miss M and the others in the bio-ship for the mission briefing."

"Will we be…fighting _them_ today?" Wally was unsure of whether it was good or bad to fight them. "There's a high probability, but remember Tigress isn't your girlfriend. _Artemis_ is."

"They might look different, but they're the same person."

"No. They aren't." Wally didn't respond and continued to follow Dick to the bio-ship. Wally entered the bio-ship, along with Dick. Batgirl, Wondergirl, Miss Martian, Bumblebee, Robin, and Superboy were aboard. He took a seat to the right of the ship.

"Okay Team. We've gotten intel that more hostages are being taken off the Eastern border of Star City. We need to get down there and try to get inside their ships to release the prisoners from the inside also receiving any information that could be vital for this mission."

"So what is it that you want us to do?" Wondergirl asked. "I want Batgirl, Bumblebee, and Robin; you're going to get into the ships by being taken as hostages. Miss Martian, and Superboy, I need you to infiltrate their security and let the rest of the Team out. Wondergirl, Kid Flash, and I will be waiting in the bio-ship next to their ship where you will all come back and share what you have learned. "I want to go in." Wally said. "I need to."

The rest of the Team watched Wally's expression change. "KF, we need you in here."

"No. I'm going with the hostages." Dick looked at the Team. "Fine. Bumblebee?" She nodded in agreement. "Kid, if you're going to do that, no uniform." Wally smiled. "We're landing in approximately ten minutes. Get ready." Nightwing told the Team.

When the bio-ship reached the area, they landed behind a dock. Barbara, Tim, and Wally got out and hid behind the crates. They watched the bio-ship land in the water where the rest of the plan would commence. They nodded at each other and snuck into the cage where others were being put into pods. Wally looked at his surroundings. His eyes widened at the sight of _her_. _Tigress_. She was talking to one of Manta's men. She turned and walked toward the pods. Wally looked away, hoping not to catch her eye. He glanced back in her direction, but she was gone. Wally felt relief to some degree. One of the guards pushed him into the pod and as it closed, he was pushed aboard the ship.

The others shortly followed and they were all brought in to a room. He saw L'gann and a few civilians along with the ones sent with them. Shimmer was also in a pod next to L'gann. Blue Beetle, Impulse, and Beast Boy were not among them. Barbara was talking to Nightwing as the guards left.

Barbara signaled Tim and Wally to get everyone out of the pods. As they broke out, an alarm was triggered. Working as fast as they could, they freed the teens and other civilians, including Shimmer. The group all made their way past the troopers and followed Superboy out of the hall. Wally, however, stopped when he saw a certain _villain_ on the floor. As she started to groan and get up, Wally raced down the hall and caught up with the rest of them.

Wally saw Wondergirl leading the hostages out while Barbara and Tim stopped next to Conner. He tried contacting Miss Martian, but to no use. "The link's down." Conner announced as he headed back. He was stopped by an incredibly strong force. It pushed him back towards them and the hostages were trapped inside along with them. "Apologies Meat, but no one goes anywhere." While the others were looking at the door trapping them, Wally saw Tigress trying to get in from behind. Wondergirl was shouting, but all Wally could focus on was what Artemis was going to do when she got in. Black Beetle laughed and the others stood there unsure of what to do.

Wally saw one civilian hadn't made it out with the others and tried to look out for him. The others threw punches and attacked, but each one of them had been thrown to the side. In an effort to help, the boy took a trooper's gun. As he was about to shoot, Shimmer fought the boy back. Batgirl began to hit Shimmer as Black Beetle got his gun ready to shoot. Wally looked around. It had been so long since he was in the hero game. He didn't want to mess anything up by making a move. He stood wide eyed as Wondergirl and Superboy jumped on Black Beetle, keeping the gun from shooting.

He watched each team member get thrown off to the side, wanting to help. Wally saw Blue Beetle pin Cassie against the door. Miss Martian began to appear from above them. Black Beetle had noticed. He changed the density of the door leaving Miss Martian unconscious. He began to repeatedly push Cassie against the door. After a few hits, he let her go and she lay unconscious like most of the others. The civilian cowered in fear while Batgirl finished off Shimmer. The door opened to everyone's surprise and Beast Boy, Impulse, and Blue Beetle walked in unaware of what was happening. Blue Beetle let the civilian out while Garfield helped M'gann. Wally felt so useless. He couldn't stop Black Beetle. Looking around, it looked like no one could.

Nightwing ran in and Batgirl went up to him. After passing a few words he turned back to the ship. Blue Beetle and Black Beetle were on the verge of ending it and Batgirl ran up to Wally. "We're all getting out of here!" Wally and Batgirl picked up the Team along with Impulse and Beast Boy. As they left, water started rushing into Kaldur's ship. The water also made its way to the bio-ship. Wally looked around seeing the confused and worried expressions on everyone's faces. Nightwing closed the door to the ship, sealing the water.

Wally stood off to the side rethinking every decision he made. _I didn't do anything. They were all close to dying and I was on the sidelines. _L'gann came back into the bio-ship, Blue Beetle with him. The bio-ship started moving and Wally watched them get further away from Artemis each second. "Care to take the controls Miss M?" Nightwing asked after congratulating everyone. She didn't answer. "I think she's still basking in the glow of victory. She totally nailed Aqualad! You should've seen it! Actually, it didn't look like much, but I'm sure it was very cool inside their heads!" Beast Boy said excitedly. Wally looked at M'gann. _That's not usually how she celebrates. She looks more upset than victorious. _"M'gann?" She didn't answer, only looked at Wally nervously. Then everything made sense. She knew too.


	9. Next To Me

** Sorry I've been MIA for a while. I've had some writer's block and been pretty busy. I have a bunch of ideas for later; I just didn't know how to write this chapter. Enjoy 3**

Wally glanced at M'gann. _Could she have really found out? _M'gann looked over and saw the looks from Wally. '_Is it true?' _M'gann said to Wally through the physic link. '_Is what true?'_

_ 'This. It's all a lie. Aqualad's still on our side. Artemis is alive. What made you think you could hide this from us? Who else knows?'_

_ 'Nightwing, Kaldur, Artemis, and I were the only ones who knew. We needed you all to think she was dead to make it believable.'_

_ 'Wally. How could you all not tell us? Not even Superboy and me? You were our first friends on Earth and you couldn't even trust us with this?'_

_ 'It wasn't my idea. I didn't want Artemis to go. She made that decision on her own. Don't tell anyone M'gann. If they found out before the mission was over, there'd be even more of a risk of their capture. Please.'_

_ 'Fine. I'll do it for their safety, but next time trust me. Why did you think you couldn't?'_

_ 'There won't be a next time. I didn't choose who to tell. Nightwing did. He told me to keep my mouth shut about it until the mission was over. We didn't want anyone to find out. You and Superboy have strong emotions. Maybe that's why we didn't tell you…because Superboy and you would be much less upset…'_

The link was cut off when the bio-ship came to a halt. Wally looked at the others and without a word, got out of the ship. He watched the ship fly into the night and walked up the stairs. Wally pulled off his goggles, throwing them on the table. He sat on the couch, closing his eyes. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. Kent jumped onto the couch, nudging Wally with his head. Wally jumped at the touch. Recovering, he put his arm around the dog and smiled weakly. "I saw A-Artemis today." Kent's ears went up. "I don't think she saw me, but she's doing okay...I think." Wally stood up and walked to the bedroom.

Wally just wanted to feel her touch. Her soft hands and the comfort it gave him. He wanted her kiss again. Those lips against his own. That voice saying 'good morning' and 'I love you' and 'good night.' _I swore I'd be fine when Artemis was gone. It's been three weeks and a couple days. Seeing her was a lot to handle. The serious expression on her face; her being surrounded by the enemy. Everything's wrong. She should be here, with me. I should be fighting with her over stupid things until she proves me wrong. I want to crawl into bed with her and talk about things we would never tell anyone else. Where did that go? I just want her back. I want Artemis. If she gives up…if she loses…I'll be guilty. I'll blame myself. It'll be my entire fault._

Wally changed out of his suit and into a t-shirt and sweatpants. He stood at his window and stared at the small amount of cars going by, secretly praying one of them would be Artemis. He closed the curtains, turned around and collapsed on the bed. Kent pushed the door open and jumped next to him. Wally leaned over and turned off the light, closing his eyes, and wishing that when he woke up Artemis would be lying next to him.


	10. The Memory

Wally's alarm clock went off, playing Artemis' iPod as usual. He did not want to get up. It was Sunday, he had the day off, and he felt a pain in his chest as the song began.

_She is everywhere I go  
Everyone I see  
Winter's gone and I still can't sleep  
Summer's on the way  
At least that's what they say  
But these clouds won't leave_

Walk away  
Barely breathing  
As I'm lying on the floor  
Take my heart  
As you're leaving  
I don't need it anymore

This is the memory

_This is the curse of having  
Too much time to think about it  
It's killing me  
This is the last time  
This is my forgiveness  
This is endle—_

Wally turned the iPod off, not wanting to hear anymore. Not only was it one of Artemis and Wally's favorite bands, but it reminded him of his situation. Wally took the covers off and got out of bed. He heard the coffee maker beep, signaling that the coffee was ready. This would normally be an average morning for Wally, but since Artemis left he would have to make the coffee after he woke up. Confused and still very exhausted, he walked out into the hallway.

Wally saw the kitchen light on and heard the TV on a low volume. Looking around the corner, he saw Artemis. It looked just like before. She was curled up on the couch in an oversized t-shirt and red flannel pants. She had a blanket wrapped around her as she sipped her coffee. He looked at the table where his cup was, already full and ready for him. He moved closer, the floor creaking loud enough for Artemis to put down her cup and throw the blanket off of her. She ran, nearly tripping over the table, and grabbed Wally's face. She had the biggest smile on her face and Artemis wiped the tears off of Wally's face.

He sighed and felt her warm hands again. They didn't say anything. They just stared at each other until she wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her face into his chest. She faced him and he pulled himself closer to her, tilting his head, and pressing his trembling lips to hers. It was the perfect moment. She was alive and they both realized how much they needed each other. Artemis turned and sat on the couch motioning Wally to sit with her. He sat closely to Artemis and put his arm around her.

"Artemis…I—"

At that moment Artemis' figure faded and Wally felt colder. What he had been saying had turned into mumbled whispers no one could make out. The living room grew darker until Wally was all that was left. He had become conscious again and bolted up from his dream. Realizing what he had just imagined made him stare into nothingness. It wasn't that he had been dreaming about Artemis that bothered him. It was that a dream was all it was and nothing more, and he was afraid that was all it ever would be.


	11. Promises

Artemis looked at Wally, he looked disappointed. She didn't know what was going through his mind. Had he dreamt about her? She only walked into the bedroom and sat next to him. It was risky, but she missed him. Each week, day, hour, and second she missed him more and she couldn't help it.

She missed the way that he would pull her close every morning and kiss her. He would reach for her hand and hold it tightly as if he was never going to let go. They would watch the news and cuddle on the couch, the scent of him. She missed it all, the way he would wrap the blanket around them at night while they watched movies. Sometimes she would fall asleep and he would carry her into their bedroom and tuck her in.

She wanted it back, but she didn't want to let anyone down. By now she was losing herself, the only reminder of Artemis being her reflection. What was she even thinking when she agreed to this plan? She knew it was for the better of the planet and her friends, but couldn't Nightwing have trusted a current teammate. Why her? Wally and she had the perfect life, the perfect house, the perfect college; everything was how she had always dreamt it of being. It could be worse, she could be dead or their plan could have failed, but she wouldn't have to worry about that if she never left Wally.

Looking at him in this state, broken and tired killed her. She wanted to run in there and see him. She saw him get off the bed and yawn. She was standing in their hallway, looking through the crack of the door. He'd be out of the room any second and see her. Why leave? Artemis smiled, waiting for him to come out. She walked to the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker, then turned and sat on the couch. She heard the floor slightly creak and got excited. Suddenly, she saw Kent running towards her and licked her face. She hugged the dog, seeing how much she was missed by him.

Wally walked into the living room and froze. He didn't know what to say. 'Was she staying? Was it over?' was probably going through his mind. "Good morning." Artemis said, running up to hug him. He beamed; just her touch drove him crazy. "Hi beautiful." It had seemed like an eternity since they had last been together. "Wally. I talked to Kaldur a couple days ago about when this might end and he said very soon. I just want it to be over already. I miss you a lot Babe."

"So…You're not staying?" Artemis looked down and shook her head. "Soon though. Trust me."

"I'm just scared that I might lose you in between now and then." Wally hugged her. "You won't. I'll be fine. As long as I know you're here waiting for me." Wally smiled. "I've been waiting and I guess I can wait a little longer for you."

"Good. I promise I'll be okay. You'll be okay too. Then when everything's over, I'm coming back and everything will be normal again. Remember that."

"I will...when do you have to leave?"

"I shouldn't even be here now; I have to meet Kaldur in an hour." Wally held her hands. "Alright, but I want you to put this on, so I know you're coming back." He put the ring on her finger. "Please keep it." Artemis smiled. "I promise I will." She put her hand on the back of his neck and felt the hair starting to grow out. She reached up and kissed him, long and sweet. As she pulled away, she looked into his emerald eyes and said "I love you Wally. I'll be back soon."

"I love you too. Please get this mission over with. I know you can do it." They slowly parted and their hands drifted apart. Artemis crawled through the window, shutting it behind her. She looked at the ring on her finger and whispered to herself "Promise." She smiled slightly as she ran away from the house and towards her and Kaldur's meeting place.


	12. Finally

Two months went by. Artemis and Wally waited for the chance to see each other. They hadn't seen each other since that morning when she promised him 'soon.' She wondered if he was still able to wait or if he was losing his mind like she had been.

As the meeting between the light and the Reach went on, Artemis still worried for the sake of herself and Kaldur. They were both hoping that their plan would work. After Miss Martian had confronted Nightwing about Artemis, they allowed her to join them and to help in any way she could. Kaldur walked to the front of the group and began speaking to the Reach about their plans when a fight broke out between the two groups.

Tigress and Deathstroke both raced towards him, leading the fight. When Artemis fell into Ra's al Ghul, she worried her cover was blown. "Apologies Great One."

"Unnecessary child, you have my…thanks." Artemis took off to not give him time to think. Kaldur however, broke up the fight and the two sides agreed to work together. Artemis could not help but notice Ra's al Ghul continuing to stare at her and she was troubled by his sudden interest. As the ambassador continued to discuss the plans for the Justice League, his voice fainted as the group noticed Ra's al Ghul approaching Artemis. "Great One?" She managed. He put his hand around her necklace and tore it off, revealing Artemis as she is and a surprised expression. Everyone soon figured out Artemis and Kaldur's plan. "The Light takes care of its own." Deathstroke shot both Artemis and Kaldur leaving them both on the ground and Black Manta to run to his son. However, Kaldur's hologram began to play and told the Reach of the Light's plans for them.

Both the Reach and Light were trying to defend themselves, however the Reach had already had enough. This was over. Kaldur stood and Artemis saw it as her cue. "If you would?" She held out a hand for Ra's al Ghul. She sighed. "And I always heard the Great One was such a gentleman."

"That's impossible. Deathstroke killed you both."

"Just for a little while." Deathstroke, or M'gann, changed into her original shape. "I wouldn't want to do any permanent damage…to my best friends." Superboy and Bumblebee, Nightwing and Batgirl, along with many others raced into the room. "Hey Artemis!" Wally shouted. She looked up and smiled, glad to see him in uniform again. By then they were being surrounded and everyone ran to fight them off. While the rest of the team arrived, Vandal let Klarion go as well releasing chaos.

"Hey whatcha doing?" Bart yelled to Wally. "Same old. Same old. Driving the bad guys nuts. Nice look by the way." Bart pulled at his suit. "Ya think?"

"Yeah! Though honestly I always figured you'd wind up in something with a little more yellow and red."

Bart was at a loss for words. "Seriously?"

"Hey. Once this whole invasion thing's over, Artemis and I are going back into retirement. Someone needs to carry on the family tradition." He smiled. "Dude! That is so crash!" Bart jumped in excitement. "You watch! I'll make you proud!" He ran off.

Blue Beetle struck at Ra's al Ghul, stabbing him right through his chest. Artemis was pushed out of the way and Wally caught her. "I so wanna kiss you now! Or maybe kill you for putting us through all this!"

"Hold that thought. You can decide later. When we're alone." They smiled at each other and ran in opposite directions. They saw as the rest of the Light and Reach escaped and Wally and Artemis both ran to hug each other. When they saw Kaldur standing near his father's body they both walked over to Nightwing talking to him.

"Dude! Dude! You triumphed!" Wally yelled. Artemis beamed, "You crippled the Reach and literally broken the Light in half! Even took down Deathstroke before the summit! And since we holographically recorded the entire deal, we'll be able to use the bad guy's own words against them to clear the Justice League!" Beast Boy ran up from behind Artemis and hugged her. "What was that?" She asked. "I'm still just so glad you're alive and that Aqualad's not a traitor!" He pointed at Nightwing. "And no more faking anyone's death for at least a year! Okay?"

"Second it." Wally remarked. As everyone finished their celebration, the Team gathered around the summit. "Congratulations Team," Nightwing smirked, "I think you all deserve to go home and rest. Just keep in mind, the Light is still out there and they will want to fight back. Who knows when or how, but it's going to happen. Evil never sleeps."

As the Team left the summit, Wally stood with Artemis near the exit. "I missed you babe." Wally spoke. "Now I'm here for good." She put her head against his chest, closing her eyes, finally being able to feel at peace. Everything went quiet and it felt as though it were just him and her. It was only them left. There was no worry, no deaths, and no stress for once. "So?" Wally asked. Artemis pulled away. "What?"

"Are you still keeping your promise?" Wally inquired. He looked into her grey eyes, seeing them happy again. She smiled. "Of course I am. Do you have it?" Her smile grew. "Always babe." He pulled it out from his uniform and said "I carried it to keep you with me always." She put out her hand as he slipped it on her finger. Wally smiled and pulled her closer to him. "I should've done this a long time ago." Their noses nearly touched as he whispered 'I love you Artemis.' and kissed her lips softly. It was the gentlest kiss they had both ever had. Neither of them wanted to let go, but they knew they wouldn't have to anymore. No more hero business. Just reality, just each other. "Can we go home now?" Artemis asked.

"Finally."

**This is the end. I hope you enjoyed it. If you want a sequel, just ask :) goodbye for now**


End file.
